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lady?”
    She eyed him and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I was sent her, to beg for the King’s patronage. The Red Order of Yserth seeks our doom. They yearn to burn all of Corium.”
    Hearing her words, Gruum realized why the priestesses had sent Gawina and no other. Clearly, they believed her beauty would be persuasive to the King. He could have told them otherwise.
    “Coincidentally,” he said, “the red priests say the same of your Order.”
    “Yserth’s minions are foul twisters of words,” Gawina hissed, her face suddenly overtaken by rage. “They would naturally speak such blasphemy and slander. They should be burned out, since they love flame so much!”
    Gruum was taken aback by her vehemence. He looked her up and down, and chanced to see something near her feet. There, he thought to see a shade. It slipped out between two circular carpets, sending a probing tendril to see who it was who had dared tread upon it.
    Gruum reached with great speed and grabbed the girl. He drew her to him, and whirled her around. Her feet left the floor and took flight with the rest of her. He spun around and set her down again as far from the carpet as possible.
    Gawina made a wild sound. Gruum ignored her and stared at the floor, looking for the shadow. He had felt the madness it brought on once, and never wanted to feel its bite again.
    When he stepped back and turned to face the priestess, he found her standing with a small, curved dagger in her hand. It had a wicked glint to it, as if the blade had been soaked in oily poison. Her face was a rictus of rage.
    “You touched me. You talked of temptation, then took advantage,” she spat out the words.
    Gruum smiled. “You could have sunk that dirk between my shoulders, but you didn’t,” he said. “I think you enjoyed my attentions.”
    Gawina made as if to slash him, and he caught her wrist and pushed her back.
    “Too late now,” he said.
    “Why did you make a fool of me?” Gawina demanded.
    Gruum pointed to the carpets. “You see that dark spot, that waxy substance that absorbs light? Watch it, see it moving?”
    Gawina flicked her eyes in the direction of the carpets, clearly expecting a trick. She caught sight of the moving pool of shadow and her dagger sunk down to her side. “What is that thing?”
    “It is Therian’s pet. He keeps it here to ward off unwanted visitors. It reached for you and was about to bite you.”
    She stared. “That is why you violated my person?”
    Gruum tilted his head. “Well, it wasn’t the only reason.”
    Gawina hissed again and whirled away. She marched out of the chambers. At the doors, she stopped and turned back. “Remember what I said. The Red Order must be stopped.”
    “Really? What of the monster your sisters are building in the Necropolis? Must you be stopped as well?”
    She blinked at him. “I don’t know anything about that.”
    Gruum scoffed. “Come back to me when you wish to speak truthfully.”
    She left then, and Gruum exited soon after.
    He did not bother to snuff out the lamps on his way out. He had no wish to step upon those carpets.  If the whole palace burnt, he would prefer it to the black madness that dwelt in Therian’s bedchambers.

-8-

    Being unable to locate Therian, Gruum used the last hours of darkness to sleep in an alcove full of overstuffed chairs. It was a dusty spot between the library and the throne room. As a further benefit, both places that were lightly trafficked. 
    Hours passed. He awoke slowly, lifting a single eyelid and looking around blearily. Sunlight streamed in from a high window. The light was pale and bluish in tint, but it was better than nothing. Such was a summer morning in Corium.
    He opened his second eye, and then caught sight of Nadja. She sat upon a low table nearby, with her knees drawn up under her chin. She stared at him as if he were one of Therian’s experimentally dissected creatures.
    “Do you remember your dream?” she asked.
    Gruum sat up and